By Michael Madyira
Kaizer Chiefs reached the Carling Knockout quarter-finals with a 4-0 last 16 victory over SuperSport United at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.
Gaston Sirino paved way for Amakhosi’s victory with a 33rd minute strike before Yusuf Maart doubled Chiefs’ advantage eight minutes into the second half and Ranga Chivaviro added with 17 minutes to go.
Substitute Ashley du Preez sealed the win in stoppage time as Matsatantsa ended the match with 10 men following a red card to Gape Moralo with 11 minutes remaining.
It was a statement of intent by Amakhosi who recovered from the 2-1 defeat by Mamelodi Sundowns in their last match.
Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi had sold fans a dummy that Rushwin Dortley was injured but the Bafana Bafana defender was in the starting line-up.
For a match of such magnitude, SuperSport tactician Gavin Hunt shockingly benched veteran defender Thulani Hlatshwayo and bowed out of a knockout competition for the second time this season after their MTN8 disappointment.
Chiefs had Wandile Duba denied by the crossbar in the 28th minute before Sirino turned two defenders before striking from the edge of the box
Maart then made the most of a Sirino assist to head in Chiefs’ second goal while Chivaviro also struck for the third goal in three consecutive competitive games.
Du Preez put the cherry on top of the cake by controlling well into the net a pass from Edson Castillo.
At Lucas Moripe Stadium, Mamelodi Sundowns breezed into the last-eight with an emphatic 5-0 win over visiting Golden Arrows.
Thapelo Morena, Iqraam Rayners, Mothobi Mvala, Peter Shalulile and teenage star Kutlwano Letlhaku did the scoring job for the Brazilians.
The Brazilians had Mvala returning from a long-term injury and featuring for the first time this season in place of Grant Kekana while Teboho Mokoena started from the bench.
Arrows surprisingly had their all-time top goal-scorer Knox Mutizwa benched.
Morena placed into the inside roof of the net after being set up by Lucas Ribeiro Costa to open the floodgates.
Sundowns then beat an Arrows offside trap from a counter-attack for Tashreeq Matthews to beat goalkeeper Edward Maova and cooly feed Rayners for the easiest of finishes into an empty net.
Mvala marked his return with the third goal while Shalulile finally scored his first goal of the season when he tucked in a deft touch from Morena.
It then became a massacre for Sundowns when substitute Letlhaku curled into the net less than two minutes after he had been introduced as a substitute.
Elsewhere, Cape Town City hammered Royal AM 3-0 at Athlone Stadium to claim another quarter-final slot.
Pictured above: Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Samkelo Zwane protecting possession against SuperSport United
Source: PSLÂ
